Turn That Shrub Into Something Presidential

On-air challenge: For the Sunday before the Fourth of July weekend, every answer is the last name of a U.S. president, which comes from their anagrams. For example, "shrub" without R is "Bush."

Last week's challenge: Write down these five words: "aide," "heart," "tough," "gelatin" and "emanate." There is something very unusual they have in common. What is it? And what's another word with this property?

Answer: mite, item

Winner: Gig Moineau of Newton, Mass.

Next week's challenge from Al Gori of Cozy Lake, N.J.: It involves a spoonerism, in which you reverse the initial consonant sounds in one phrase to make another phrase. For example, if you spoonerize "light rain," you get "right lane." Name part of a truck in two words; spoonerize it, and you'll name something FEMA uses. What is it?

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursdayat 3 p.m. Eastern.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer in for Rachel Martin. And there goes our weekly toe-tapping tune that says it's time to do the puzzle.

(SOUNDBITE OF THEME MUSIC)

WERTHEIMER: Joining me now is WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle-master Will Shortz. Good morning, Will.

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Linda.

WERTHEIMER: Now, could you remind us what the challenge was?

SHORTZ: Yes. Last week, I said to write down five words: aide A-I-D-E, heart, tough, gelatin and emanate. And I said there's something very unusual they have in common - what is it? And to signal you have the answer, provide another word that has the same property. Well, the answer was each word can be transformed into a new word by moving the first letter to the end. So, for example, aide - most the A to the end and you get idea; heart becomes earth and so on. And other words with the same property are plum, dread and tangs.

WERTHEIMER: And this week we got more than 900 correct answers. Our randomly selected winner is Gig Moineau from Newtown, Massachusetts. Congratulations, Gig.

GIG MOINEAU: Thank you.

WERTHEIMER: I would think you would be Gigi with a last name like that.

MOINEAU: It has been said that way. It went into my high school yearbook as Gigi.

WERTHEIMER: It's a very interesting name because you got all the A-E-I-O-U. It's all there.

SHORTZ: And I understand that Moineau is French for sparrow. And did you know that the French word for bird, oiseau O-I-S-E-A-U, in just six letters, has all five vowels. There you go.

WERTHEIMER: Well, let's get to it. Are you ready to play?

MOINEAU: Sure.

SHORTZ: She says hesitantly.

WERTHEIMER: OK. Will, you're in charge.

SHORTZ: All right, Gig and Linda. For the Sunday before the Fourth of July weekend, I brought a presidents puzzle. Every answer is the last name of a U.S. president, which I'd like you to answer from their anagrams. For example, if I said shrub minus R, you would say Bush. Number is frond F-R-O-N-D, minus N.

MOINEAU: Ford.

SHORTZ: Ford is right. Number two is fatty F-A-T-T-Y, minus Y.

MOINEAU: Taft.

SHORTZ: Um-hum. Hyenas, minus N.

MOINEAU: Hayes.

SHORTZ: Hayes is it.

WERTHEIMER: Well, you are really just rolling along here.

SHORTZ: Garnet, minus E.

MOINEAU: Grant.

SHORTZ: Is right. Realty R-E-A-L-T-Y, minus A.

MOINEAU: Ooh, I'm having a tough time with this one.

WERTHEIMER: Tip a canoe.

SHORTZ: There you go.

MOINEAU: Oh, Tyler.

SHORTZ: Excellent. yes. Amoeba A-M-O-E-B-A, minus E.

MOINEAU: Obama.

SHORTZ: That's it. Terrace T-E-R-R-A-C-E, minus E.

MOINEAU: Carter.

SHORTZ: That's it. Tantrum T-A-N-T-R-U-M, minus T.

MOINEAU: Truman.

SHORTZ: That's it. Flowing F-L-O-W-I-N-G, minus G.

MOINEAU: Wilson.

SHORTZ: That's it. Arrange A-R-R-A-N-G-E, minus R.

MOINEAU: Oh, Reagan.

SHORTZ: That's it. Royalty, minus Y.

MOINEAU: Taylor.

SHORTZ: That's it. Diamonds D-I-A-M-O-N-D-S, minus D.

MOINEAU: Madison.

SHORTZ: Madison is it. How about handgrip H-A-N-D-G-R-I-P, minus P.

WERTHEIMER: This is not arranging it in my head either.

SHORTZ: It's a 20th century president.

MOINEAU: Oh, Harding.

SHORTZ: Harding is it. And here's your last one: narrowish N-A-R-R-O-W-I-S-H, minus W. And your hint is it was the name of two presidents.

MOINEAU: Is that Harrison?

SHORTZ: Harrison. Nice job.

WERTHEIMER: Very nice job. I am very impressed. And for playing our puzzle, you'll get the WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin plus puzzle books and games. You can read all about that at npr.org/puzzle. But before we let you go, what is your public radio station?

MOINEAU: I'm a listener and member of both WBUR and WGBH, both in Boston.

WERTHEIMER: That's fabulous. I can never decide between them either. Gig Moineau of Newtown, Massachusetts. Thank you very much for playing our puzzle.

MOINEAU: Oh, thanks so much for having me. It was great fun.

WERTHEIMER: So, Will, do you have the challenge for next week?

SHORTZ: Yes, I do. It comes from listener Al Gori of Cozy Lake, New Jersey. It involves a spoonerism, in which you reverse the initial consonant sounds in one phrase to make another phrase. For example, if you spoonerize light rain, you get right lane. So, name part of a truck in two words, spoonerize it and you'll name something FEMA uses. What is it?

So again, part of a truck in two words, spoonerize this phrase and you'll name something that FEMA uses. What is it?

WERTHEIMER: When you have the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle and click on the Submit Your Answer link - one entry per person, please. Next Thursday is the Fourth of July, so our deadline will come a day early. It will be Wednesday, July 3rd at 3 P.M. Eastern.

Please include a phone number where we can reach you at about that time. And if you are the winner we'll give you a call, you'll get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle-master, Will Shortz.